1. Technical Field:
This invention relates in general to preparing dry wall surfaces, and in particular to an improved texture and tape dispenser for preparing dry wall surfaces.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Efficiently providing drywall tape with a coating of drywall mud of desired thickness for application to drywall panels is one of the problems associated with "taping and floating" drywall joints, seams, and cracks in walls and ceilings. Conventional designs for achieving this end typically utilize a tray or container of mud which is carried by or positioned near the user. A roll of drywall tape is also carried by the user. The tape is manually dispensed and extended through the drywall mud in the container for application of the drywall mud to the tape prior to application of the tape to the drywall panels. This system is cumbersome and difficult to master, since it requires considerable manual dexterity to remove a strip of tape of desired length from the roll and extend the tape through the drywall mud container to uniformly apply drywall mud to the tape in a desired thickness for application to the drywall panels.
Prior art drywall application systems have a number of significant problems. One difficulty with these techniques is trying to uniformly apply the drywall mud to the tape such that the tape will be securely applied to the drywall crack, space, or seam to provide a smooth and efficient floating job. Another inefficiency associated with conventional equipment is frequent requirement of refilling the relatively small mud container, which requires additional time and is labor-intensive, thus adding to the cost of the job. Yet another problem is the extreme caution the user must take in order to avoid spilling the slurry or mud when the user is bending, squatting or stooping to perform various necessary functions on the job. Finally, prior art drywall mud containers must be cleaned before breaks, lunch or at the end of the day, to avoid contamination of the mud with dried mud particles. Thus, an improved method and apparatus for applying drywall tape and texture is needed.